So, I removed the neck, old gasket and cleaned off the old sealant.Wiped both surfaces with brake cleaner to make sure it was clean and smooth. I applied a bead on the motor side- making sure to go around the holes as well. I then applied a thin coat to the top of the gasket (water neck side) and waited a bit for it ti get tacky.I then gently set the gasket on the motor opening and gently pushed down until I could see sealant beginning to ooze out. At this point, I then set the water neck, inserted the bolts and slowly tightened down. I let the car sit 24 hours before I put any fluid back in. So last night, I checked it- and there was some"wetness" or seepage on the left side of the water neck. WTF?

Should I have hand tightened and left it that way for an hour or so and then tightened to specs?

Is it a chrome outlet? If so, those things are notoriously hard to keep from leaking.....

That makes sense, although I set the neck down and seated it first and then slid the bolts in- they didn't bind at all. Should I do what Permatex recommends?

Place the bead down- maybe a bit more than they say- let it get tacky, set the neck and then hand tighten the bolts just enough so alittle oozes out and then let it set for an hour or so, and then torque it down fully?

Old age has taught me to read and follow manufacturer's directions... I saw that because in my youth (like many men) I just went with what I thought was right, many times having to repeat the effort due to failure. I am not saying they all work as instructed but the chances of success are probably much higher.

I have replaced many thermostats over the years and what I have come to believe is this;

1. make sure both (all) surfaces are clean2. do not use crappy after market housings (usually the chrome ones)3. I use something like Indian Head or permatex gasket maker (aka black death) on both sides of the gasket, at at times on both surfaces. I apply it, let it tack up and apply it (as per the instructions on the bottom)4. I tighten both bolts evenly5. I try not to start the vehicle for a day or so if I can. At a minimum I want to wait an hour or so. Point here is to let the gasket sealant harden up before applying pressure internally

A lot of this is impacted by the surfaces I am dealing with as well as the gasket I am using. There are some really good gaskets out now that will seal better than the old school paper types. When using these, generally no gasket sealant/adhesive is required. Felpro brand comes to mind, they have a metal and silicone gasket that works really well so long as neither surface is pitted.